Island Lecture Series lecture on January 20 focuses on debate over Newfoundland’s Churchill Falls project
Dr. Jeff Collins, assistant professor of political science at UPEI, will give a talk titled “Power Plays: Newfoundland’s Fight Over Churchill Falls” on January 20, 2026, at 7 pm, in the Faculty Lounge (Room 201), SDU Main Building.
Dr. Collins’s talk is part of the annual Island Lecture Series hosted by the Institute of Island Studies.
“No more giveaways” is a longstanding idea built into Newfoundland nationalism, said Dr. Collins. Controlling resources and achieving as many benefits as possible for the local population even predates Confederation with Canada in 1949. However, it is the sense of betrayal and lost opportunity associated with a 1969 agreement with Quebec to develop the Churchill Falls hydro-electric dam that stands alone as the symbol of this sentiment.
“Now, as the people of Newfoundland and Labrador near the closing decade-and-a-half of that original contract, they are presented with a new deal, a ‘memorandum-of-understanding’ between the two provinces that would extend the partnership and potentially develop even more hydro-resources in the province. The deal’s proponents, chiefly the provincial Liberal party, which lost this year’s election, say it will bring billions in new revenue to a province teetering on financial calamity. For detractors, chiefly the new provincial Progressive Conservative government, it is a deal that, at a minimum, is worthy of review given the legacy of 1969.”
In the talk, Dr. Collins will situate the current debate within this historical context and show that for the government in St. John’s and the province as a whole, there are no nuanced answers when nationalist sentiment shadows public policy.
A native of Placentia, Newfoundland, Dr. Collins has written numerous articles and essays on the political history of the province and its public policy challenges.
The lecture is free, and all are welcome. For more information, contact Bren Simmers at 902-566-0386 or ispstaff@upei.ca.
